Inkantation
by glaciegelato
Summary: No one would ever guess these 4 Inklings belonged to the same clan. They seem like a bit of a joke... until when Inkopolis' famous pop duo notices them. Then the real story starts.
1. A normal day

**A/N: I'm still new to writing so please forgive me if any part of this story doesn't make a whole lotta sense**

 **lol**

 **This story is rated T. I mean, it's not THAT bad, but it may include a small amount of bad language. Aside from that there ain't much to it.**

 **I don't own Splatoon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Normal Day**

 **January 18th**

"Callie, wake up!"

It was an unusual morning for Callie on a cold January day in Inkopolis. Not only did she sleep in this long as she was always up at 6 every single morning for work, but because she was that type of person; energetic and always optimistic for the day ahead.

She shared a decently sized apartment with Marie. There were two evenly sized bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, and a living area that merged with the kitchen. The Squid Sisters could afford fancy apartments in the heart of the city, but instead they chose to live out in the Mackerel district, an industrial area of Inkopolis next to the sea. It's also most notably home to Port Mackerel, the renowned main port of Inkopolis, and also a famous stage in Turf Wars. The Sisters both chose this location because of how it reminded them of their younger days; as kid squids they'd come down here with Cuttlefish, taking a stroll along the sidewalk as the ships departed and arrived at the port. Not to mention the waft of the salty sea breeze emitting from the water.

After 5 minutes - and after a few odd sounds of groaning from Callie's bed - Marie began to take action.

Grabbing a pillow and mercilessly slapping Callie hard with it, she yelled "CALLIE! BEING LAZY IS MY JOB! GET UP OR WE'LL BE LATE FOR WORK! FOR SQUIDDING OUT LOUD!"

Callie responded by lifting herself up and giving Marie a very dull look.

"Hmuuuummmmywuhhhhmeeee?" Callie asked in an obnoxious tone.

Marie shook her head. "Callie, it's Monday today, you really gotta get up. Work? Sound familiar?"

"Oh, yeah… Dunno why I feel so tired, though," Callie yawned in a carefree manner.

Callie, despite feeling very tired, got out of bed and prepared herself for work quickly. Marie was acting like the world was about to end and when she does that, you'd best stay out of her path.

"C'mon Marie, quit acting so pissed." Callie was ready and standing at the door with a bag half falling off her shoulder. Marie's face had a one of a kind expression.

The Squid Sisters exited the apartment and walked to their car. Marie made it clear she was driving and leaped into the driver's seat. Callie clumsily missed the car door handle and hit her hand off the side of the car, cursing in a pathetic way. She tried again, successfully this time and slumped into the car seat. Marie gave her a sour look and drove on the the road.

"Marieeeeeeeee… I think we gotta take a shortcut. It takes us so long to get to work."

"Well, I couldn't because the way we go to work IS THE SHORTCUT PERHAPS? And that shortcut still takes us a good 20 minutes. Listen. The Moray Towers flyover is shut by half 6 for Turf War preparation. It's 20 past right now. Know what that means?" Marie said sarcastically, as she turned a corner. "It means we have to take a new shortcut," she said, as she exited off the road and drove into the forest. Callie's face lit up with surprise and she almost choked on the breakfast bisquids that she had stuffed in her bag since she hadn't enough time to eat before she left.

Marie's expression was a determined one, and she wasn't going to let her sleep deprived cousin allow them to be late for work. She approached the underpass, realising then that the time was 6:28. She slammed her foot straight onto the accelerator and sped down the road, heading straight for the towers.

By the time the car elevator had taken them up, it was already 6:35. There were already barriers in place, making getting across to the other side a challenge to be sure.

"Welp. Here goes nothing," Marie said in a brave tone as the sun shone in her emerald coloured eyes. She put her foot down hard on the accelerator, soaring off the tower, slamming down heavily as the car fell to each platform. Once they had reached the bottom, she couldn't do the same thing back up. Instead she rammed down all the cones that were obstructing her path while she drove up.

The time was already 6:40 when Marie and her stricken cousin who was clinging to Marie's sleeve were in the lift going down. Callie didn't know what had really happened, but she was still in a state of shock. Marie didn't say anything and drove into the parking area, and then parked her car. She got out, walked over to her cousin's door, and helped her out.

"You feelin' a little bit more awake now, yeah?" Marie grinned, while they were walking into the studio. Callie nodded her head, still wide eyed.

One thing's for sure - today was gonna be a long day.

* * *

 _Splash!_ A squid slid through the cyan ink, waiting to ambush an unsuspecting inkling. The squid suddenly reappeared in his humanoid form with its rhinestone encrusted .52 Gal at the ready, his hands firmly gripped on the trigger.

He was hiding in one of the corridors in Arowana Mall. It was just a regular Turf War battle with his squad, the _Krakenites,_ a brand new squad _._ He was one of the four members there, the leader being a formerly pro Ranked Battle player.

The Inkling could hear footsteps, and someone was definitely approaching. They were around the corner, so he couldn't see who it was. However, he did hear some slow shots. This lead him to assume that it could be a .96 Gal, which was potentially bad for him… but maybe he could confuse the enemy with fast movement so they couldn't land a hit on him. At this point, he could practically feel his heart pumping out his chest.

The enemy inkling finally showed their face. The male inkling leaped out of his hiding place and fired at the enemy. To his surprise it was actually one of his team mates. A look of embarrassment sprouted on his face.

"What the hell, Silas?" The female inkling Silas had shot at replied with irritation.

With a sudden surge of bravery, Silas gave her a cheeky wink. His face was still red.

"E-e-excuse me! Don't even try to seduce me with your dumb wink!" The female inkling's face was turning a little bit pink. She dropped her .96 Gal and slapped Silas. Silas clutched his face in pain and looked at the female inkling with a sorrowed face. She scowled in return and picked up her .96 Gal, whacking him in the side of his head with it. He dropped to his knees and cursed loudly. She finished it by kicking him in the privates. He grinned, even though he was in indescribable pain.

"Hehehe… Thanks, Valerie..."

"Shut up. You know I'm dating someone, so quit acting floozy with me!"

And with that, Valerie changed into squid form and swam off. Silas sat where she had left him for the rest of the battle, too dazed to even move.

Silas' team lost the battle, mostly due to Valerie being in a huff and Silas being paralysed by the pain of being beaten up by his own teammate and, well, "friend". After the rather unsuccessful battle, Silas met up with Valerie in the lobby.

Silas and Valerie were part of a small yet thriving Splatoon League Clan, a rather new one at that, called the _Krakenites._ It was founded by a mysterious yet high ranking character called Fox Meyindass.

Valerie seemed to have gotten over her huff and was now looking sorrowfully at Silas. She seemed to be rather concerned.

"Hey, Silas… Sorry for beating you up back there. I acted out of aggression and I shouldn't have. I, uh… hope you're okay," she apologised with a hint of worry in her voice.

Silas smiled at her and reassuringly and comforted her, saying he was just fine. Valerie breathed a sigh of relief. She had a short fuse but deep down she had a gentle and nurturing heart. Suddenly, Silas gave her an odd look like she had said something unusual.

"Do you really have a boyfriend though? I'm curious now," he asked.

"No, of course not-"

"That makes a lot of sense. Hehe,"

"Yeah, it doe- WAIT WHAT? SCREW YOU, SILAS."

And this is just one of the many days in their "normal" lives.

* * *

 **So yeah. Short first chapter. Callie and Marie will be featured a lot in this story… As will more of the Krakenites. As I said before, I'm still new to writing so it might not sound smooth yet but at the very least, I tried to get grammar and paragraphing right. Simply because it looks good and professional like that. :3**

 **Also I got help with that kinda stuff from a friend. Yeah.**

 **One thing I should say is that Silas wasn't named after a character from a certain game that I'm sure some of you might know.**

 **Anyways, hopefully I will continue on with this story and write up a Chapter 2.**


	2. The inevitable

Chapter 2: The inevitable

January 23rd

Silas and Valerie were both competent Splatoon League members and they (usually) got along, so they trained together. The two friends helped each other fix their flaws by forming strategies to work around them. Silas was a big fan of short-ranged, fast-paced weapons. He was great at rushdown strategies but fell short against weapons that could easily counter this. Splattershots were one thing, but he could hardly do anything against snipers unless he was using a weapon such as the Neo Splash-o-matic, which had the mighty Inkzooka that could fell an unsuspecting sniper at ease. On the contrary, Valerie favoured the range, and with her best weapons being the .96 Gal and the Jet Squelcher, she could best snipers in a fight. However, rushdown weapons were her bane. Valerie often got flustered around these weapons and her range would be thrown off, usually resulting in her impending splat. If Valerie was playing a sniper, Silas would keep an eye on her so he could intercept enemy fire against her.

 _Zzzz..._

The thunderous noise the train emitted when it rattled down the tracks jolted Silas back to his senses. Familiar and soft translucent lights beamed down from the ceiling of the carriage. He turned his head to the person beside him, and opened his mouth to speak.

Valerie was too engrossed in the music that was playing to notice Silas trying to communicate with her. Oblivious, she flicked through her playlist to pick a new song.

 _Yeah, I bet ignorance is bliss._ Silas rolled his eyes and shut them again, the rocking of the train on the rails benefitting his comfort. He became drowsy again and soon fell into a slumber.

Well, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Silas was still sound asleep when the train made a stop at his destination. Valerie, of course, forgot about Silas. She had a tendency to overlook even the most important things, which sometimes held her back.

It was only when she had walked halfway back to the apartment that she had realised Silas wasn't in her company.

"Hey look Silas, we're almost ho… SILAS? Where…?"

Valerie paused and thought for a moment. The last time she saw him was on the train, but not as she was coming off… Wait a minute...

EARLIER

" _Man, I am SO worn out! That was some great practise today!" Silas exclaimed breathlessly._

 _Valerie smiled at him. "Remember when that roller appeared out of nowhere and splatted us? That was hilarious."_

 _Silas nodded. "I remember… That was pretty funny," Silas let out a huge yawn. "Urgh… I can't emphasise how tired I am. I could even sleep on the train home!"_

" _That's… not a good idea. Haha."_

Realising what had happened, she cursed. Loudly.

* * *

The sun was now barely visible past the ocean. What sunlight remained glimmered gently like golden dust on the water.

Marie sat at her window, tired out. They had one final news report to go out at 8, but she honestly felt like melting into oblivion. Unsurprisingly, Callie was still bouncing around, yelling about some random crud that she had heard about over the Inkternet.

The green-clad Squid Sister glanced around the room, only to fixate on a newspaper, titled " _Squidverse"._ With a degree of interest she reached over to pick the newspaper up and read it.

On the front in big bold letters it stated, "UPCOMING SPLATOON LEAGUE CLANS ON PAGE 8". Marie flicked through to page 8 and started reading.

" _With the turn of the new year, there's bound to be new Splatoon League clans fresh and ready to roll. Here's some of the newest ones._

 _Galeforce Alpha: A highly ranked clan that's battled their way to lots of success. With over a whopping 60 members this clan is sure to leave its mark in the ranked battle scene."_

 _Sounds good,_ Marie thought. She skimmed down the page, stopping at one which caught her eye.

" _Krakenites: An extremely small clan run by former pro Fox Meyindass. Haven't participated in a single tournament."_

 _Fox Meyindass? Wasn't he the 3rd best player last year? ...huh. Can't say I'm not interested._ Marie closed the newspaper and put it back on the table. She then turned her attention to Callie, who was tugging on Marie's sleeve, telling her that it was time to make the final news report.

A familiar "Hold onto your tentacles!" "It's Inkopolis news time!" could be heard for the last time that day throughout the central plaza of Inkopolis.

* * *

Valerie sprinted back to the apartment in a guilty manner. She nearly tripped while climbing the flight of stairs that lead to their room. She fumbled with the keys as she got them out of her bag. It took her a while to find the right key but she finally found the right one which she inserted into the keyhole, turned, and stumbled inside.

"Hey Fox and Caster, I really-"

 _SLOSH!_

The room turned eerily silent. A mischievous Inkling stood in front of Valerie, with his hands gripped on a Soda Slosher.

Valerie broke the silence by slumping onto the floor. She didn't even scream, she just sank to her knees with a sense of defeat. Valerie gave a long sigh.

"I've had a tiring day, then Silas falls asleep on the train home, and now I get frickin' _sloshed_ as a greeting when I arrive home," she wailed, trying to wipe the sticky ink off her body. What made it worse was that she was wearing rather new and expensive clothing.

The prankster that was still standing in front of her stepped forward and held the bucket over Valerie's head, the remaining contents slopping out. She squealed, but due to her current situation, she didn't mind as much as the first time. The extra ink trickled onto the floor, but even the prankster was prepared; old newspapers lined the floor around the entrance to the apartment.

Then the prankster spoke.

"Val, this wasn't even meant for you… but you still fell into it. Hahaha!"

Valerie tried her best to intimidate him by giving him the evils, but they soon melted into a needy expression.

"Caster…! …please get this off me," Valerie's voice crackled as she helplessly asked Caster to remove the ink off her body. Caster obliged, grabbing a special ink soaking towel and rubbing Valerie with it.

Caster was the oldest in the clan, at 19 years of age. Now, 19 doesn't seem that old, but for this clan it is. Unfortunately (and this was quite a unanimous opinion), Caster _was_ rather attractive, so it got difficult to get mad at such a perfect face. He was also a prankster. His pranks weren't all practical, however.

Fox didn't really care about the pranks he played on his clanmates and usually just sat in the background grinning. Silas liked to encourage Caster, even though he usually fell victim to most of the pranks. Valerie disliked them and often made remarks about "one day something will happen and you'll have no one to turn to".

Most of all, he found it difficult to display any of his negative emotions. His parents treated him severely while he was growing up. They hit him, neglected him, and even tried to kill him at one point. However when he was just 9, his parents were convicted of a terrible crime, and were both given the death penalty. Caster's parents kept his birth a secret so he was left to fend for himself. He was at the brink of death when miraculously, someone found him and saved him. From then he was set into a foster home and given an education.

The only one who knew was Fox. And he was also the only one who saw straight through his cheerful demeanour.

But of course, Caster wasn't the type to dwell on the past. If he was ever asked what his past was like, he'd shrug it off and say "Eh. I had some tough times but I pulled through and met some great people! Hehe."

Valerie was now fully cleaned and slightly more satisfied. Just then, the door opened, and Fox stepped in the apartment. A loud squelch followed.

From head to toe Fox was covered in a greyish bandage-like wrap which was displayed rather distastefully on his body. None of his body bar his eyes and feet had been seen by anybody before. He was truly a mystery.

A heavy sigh emanated from Fox. He glanced at the floor around him and then up at his clanmates. He spoke in a gruff voice.

"Would you two kindly explain why I am standing in a puddle of ink?" Valerie raised an eyebrow and turned her head to look at Caster, who bore one of the most innocent expressions you could imagine.

Caster simply shrugged. Fox gave a curt nod and went on to what he was originally intending to say.

"I just came back from the shop. I bumped into a woman who seemed really distraught. She explained to me that she had heard someone drop the f-bomb and no doubt everyone else in the neighbourhood heard it as well," Fox rolled his eyes as Valerie's face went more magenta than magenta ink itself. "Did I mention that it was a young female's voice? And that the person that the woman has 3 young kids who were on the balcony at the time?" Valerie whimpered and began to back away.

"I've had a really bad day okay? I apologise for my rash and unjust behaviour..." Valerie said as she tossed her hair tentacles behind her. _Even though I hardly did anything… I hate people who overreact,_ she huffed to herself. Fox seemed content with her apology and asked her where Silas was. Suddenly Valerie realised her original intentions and her face lit up with shock as the time was now 9pm, an hour since she had unknowingly neglected him on the train.

"Damn! Silas fell asleep on the train, that's what I rushed back for! Can… can you help me locate him?" Fox's burnt umber eyes shone under the light. He gave her a thumbs up.

"Let's go find that damnable squid then."

* * *

20 minutes later, Fox, Valerie and Caster had arrived at Marlin Depot station, where the trains arrived at for their final stop. Originally Bluefin Depot was used for the same purpose but grew less conventional for trains to stop at since it was only accessible by train or boat - boat was the least preferred method of transport since the waters around Inkopolis were so viciously polluted, falling overboard usually meant death.

None of the Inklings had been, or had never had the need to, visit the Depot. There were a handful of older Inklings working there. One was at the station desk, another was using an unknown tool to clean the train. This water was fine to work with because it had been totally purified.

Shuffly footsteps sounded behind the party of Inklings, and Valerie tilted her head to see an anemone standing behind her. She turned around and greeted him, giving a description of Silas and asking if he'd seen him. The anemone nodded his head, and pointed a tendril out the window, at a train. Valerie offered her thanks to him and beckoned Fox and Caster to accompany her outside.

The train door was barely ajar. Valerie struggled to create a gap big enough to squeeze in, but she eventually managed to create enough space to fit in. Fox and Caster followed her inside the carriage.

Valerie located Silas in no time at all. He was sprawled over the row of seats, soundly dozing away, unaware of all the commotion he was currently causing. Valerie pursed her lips and gestured her clanmates over to his body. Caster grinned. It was blatantly obvious that he had a prank brewing in his mind.

To his dissatisfaction Silas was beginning to stir. His head tentacles began to twitch, and in a quick flash his eyes sprung open. He looked completely oblivious to his friends' looks that they were giving him. Valerie's face held a stern and tired look. Caster shot him a disappointed look.

"Oh hey guys! That was a great nap! ...uh, why are you looking at me like that?" Silas's innocent and carefree face turned to a puzzled one. Valerie tossed her head tentacles in frustration and scolded him.

"Okay, so… why did you fall asleep on the train? I told you not to do it! And now we had to rescue you! What if you had stayed in a locked train carriage overnight? The thought of it doesn't sound pleasant, honestly…" Valerie's voice trailed off as she found herself deepened in her own thoughts. Silas found himself smiling.

"Aww... damn, Valerie… it's so sweet for you to be concerned about me! Since you almost never are-"

"I take that back. I'd rather abandon you here, toodles bitch!" Valerie turned her back on him.

"H-hey, hold on! I wasn't done!" Silas reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She froze and turned her head and gave him the raised eyebrow. "I was gonna say, since you almost never aren't concerned about me…" Silas almost swore Valerie's eyebrow rose even higher. "Honest!" Valerie's eyebrow sank to its normal level and Silas removed his hand off her shoulder.

"Okay, okay… I believe you now," Valerie gave him a reassuring nod, but then looked around her as if something or someone was missing. "Where did Fox and Caster go? They were literally right behind me a second ago…"

Silas had no clues either. "Maybe they already left," he said with a tone of skepticism. He peered down the carriage. There was no sign of them.

Valerie emitted an exasperated sigh. She had had enough of people going missing today. "C'mon, we're going home," she said, and Silas followed her out to the car. Valerie paused with lingering fears.

"Wait… Caster is the only one with the driver's license… How the hell do we get home?"

Silas gently pushed her aside and climbed in the driver's seat. "Relax, honey-squid. I've got this! Come on in!" he said with glee. Valerie opened the passenger door and woomied in annoyance.

"Since when did you start driving? And when was I ever your "honey-squid"? Never call me that again!" Valerie said with a creeped-out shiver.

"Oh, I haven't. But I'm sure we'll be okay? ...this gear is the one I'm supposed to be in, right?" Silas shot her a hopeful look, but he received a shrug back. "Also," he continued, "You seem fine about me driving. Without a licence. This isn't like you? I thought you actually cared about safety n' stuff. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Valerie dismissed this quickly. "To be honest… I couldn't care less. As long as I'm home, I'm gonna be okay…"

"Ooookay doke. Sit back and enjoy the ride."

* * *

The two friends had finally reached their apartment block. Silas parked the car in its usual space, and exited the car exclaiming "That wasn't so bad, was it?". Valerie couldn't help but agree that he was a decent driver.

For the second and last time that day, Valerie trudged up the steps that led to their room, Silas following close behind. When they had reached the floor that their room was on, Valerie gazed out the window at the starlight. She caught a glimpse of the waves in the distance, drifting upon the glittering indigo ocean. She sighed as she admired this view. _I don't know why I feel this way all of a sudden. Maybe I need to loosen up a bit._

The sound of Silas's voice broke her thoughts. "Hey Val, do you have the keys?" Valerie turned around and reached in her bag for the keys. She placed a hand on the handle, but then froze.

"Wait. Caster might be behind there with some prank. I'm not risking it," Valerie said. Silas gently pushed her aside and started to open the door.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's not in. Plus I'll take this one, it can be like punishment for my situation earlier."

Valerie feared for the worst as the door swung open. Silas stepped in and shrugged with a grin flashed onto his face. "See? No prank?"

His vigour was inevitably short-lived as Silas suddenly fell limp and dropped to the apartment floor. Valerie's heart lurched. She cried out in shock, fearing now for her own safety. In an act of desperation, she tried to grab the handle to close the door. She felt something prick her hand. Her eyes widened up as large as two full moons as she realised it was some kind of dart. Her senses drew to a halt and she felt her body crashing to the floor. _So this is it then,_ she thought, before her eyes closed.

* * *

Valerie felt herself awake before her eyes opened. She was lying there on her bed, still in the same clothes as the night before. Feeling very hazy and unstable, Valerie gradually opened her eyes, staring into a blank, white ceiling. She found it hard to recall yesterday's events. All she remembered was when she was struck by the dart. She blissfully sank back into the bedcovers as she concluded what her situation was.

"So I'm in heaven, huh… Have I really atoned for my sins?" She thought out loud.

"Nah. I wouldn't have said so…" remarked Caster, who was sitting on the seat at her desk. Nonchalantly, he popped a piece of candy into his mouth.

"Hey, that looks tasty, can I have one?" Valerie sat up in her bed, giving him baby-squid eyes. Spontaneously, Caster pulled out a dart from his pocket, identical to the one that hit Valerie's hand the previous day.

She then retracted her statement and leaped off her bed, lunging at him with a clenched fist.

"HEY! WHAT THE ACTUAL- I THOUGHT I DIED LAST NIGHT? AND I REALLY JUST FELL ASLEEP IN MY BED? THAT WAS YOU WHO THREW THOSE DARTS? AND WHAT ABOUT DITCHING US AT THE DEPOT-"

Caster blocked her feeble attempt at a punch and calmly smiled. "That was a prank. All of it. I programmed these life-like decoys at the depot, all I did was copy the contents of my brain over into these machines. And yes, it was me who threw those darts. Me and Fox placed you both in bed so it would seem like just a dream," Caster smirked, "Pretty foolproof eh?"

"I give up," Valerie said simply as she flopped back down onto her bed. "I can hardly even process what you said just now." It was always better to not question her sanity at this point in time.

The door to her room precariously opened and a familiar face peeked through. The smile it gave lit up the room's frigid atmosphere.

"Hi guys," he started, "Fox explained what was going on. He caught that all on camera, you know? I watched it and it's really funny. Tops to you Caster for those pranks yesterday. Even though I was the victim most of the time, I was still very impressed by the work that went into making them!"

Caster chuckled and thanked his clanmate for his praise. Silas stepped into the room, causing an immediate reaction with Valerie. She swiftly covered her eyes with her hands.

"EEEEEEEEEEK! Put some clothes on!" Valerie screeched. Silas recoiled with hurt, disconcerted by her sudden outburst.

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Silas stared down to find that his pyjama bottoms were now the exact same colour as his skin. He instantaneously glimpsed over to Caster, who shot him a wink. Silas laughed.

"Oh, don't be silly… It's just a prank."

Valerie removed her hands from her face and gawked at him, noticing the soft fabric on his legs.

She then wished she really had died that night.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's that. I will admit this chapter took longer than it should have to write up… I got really distracted thinking of some Fire Emblem fic I was thinking of doing in the near future.**

 **Valerie kinda gets abused a lot in this chapter... I don't know how she puts up with them, honest. Although it will get less harsh and Caster won't be pranking as much. Not so much Marie and definitely not so much Callie here, but they should be around in the next chapter.**

 **Until next time!**


End file.
